Top positive review

Like many before me, I'm sure, after reading the incredible 'Sabriel' I was dubious about Lirael matching up to the incredible fantasy heights of Sabriel. Teenage reading is the best thing about being a teenager, but I was absoloutely shocked. This book went straight to my bone marrow and I know now that this book will haunt my reading taste, and the way I write books for the rest of my life. Truly, this is one of the best books I have ever read. The characters are so true, so absoloutely fantastically imagined and played. Lirael is such a string character in herself, its quite beautiful the way Garth Nix describes her: not in so many words or adjectives, but in her actions, in what she does and how she behaves. The Disresputable Dog is also a fantastically witty character and Sameth, son of Sabriel is a worthy child after his mother. Those who have read Sabriel will be delighted to read the return of Mogget, perhaps one of Garth's more prominant and slightly dark characters, but witty and humorous all in one go. Its fantastic, and the scenes with the dead are tense and exciting. I love this book and I simply cannot wait to read Abhorsen. fantastic book.

Top critical review

Part 1 introduces us to Lirael and the glacier where she lives and works.It has a slow pace compared to Sabriel, where the heroine sets off immediately on her adventure. However, I enjoyed the "library" setting (the library is more of a giant storage facility for all kinds of magical objects and creatures, as well as books). Part 1 is tainted in hindsight because by the end, despite her personal development and skills acquired over the years, Lirael is still lacking in confidence and unhappy.

After being drawn into the world of the Clayr living the the glacier, Part 2 is a sudden change and focuses on a different character. I found it jarring to leave one setting almost completely, and have to read about a new character that doesn't really get going until he sets off on his own travels.

Part 3 sees the two main characters meet and continue on a quest together. Both characters are quite stubborn, which makes reading their interactions a bit tiresome. Their journey and the obstacles they face just weren't as engaging as the story in Sabriel. For the book to end without a resolution to the story only makes this section seem more drawn-out. There is a plodding pace and repetition of ideas/plot points.

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This book is a sequel to Sabriel and it carries on the story but 20 years on from the previous one. Lirael is a clayr and each birthday goes by and she does not get the 'sight'. It also follows Sam - sabriels son who is the abhorsen in waiting, who does not like death. Which is unusual for someone who will have the job of going into death and benishing dead creatures to beyond the ninth gate. He wants to know what has happened to his friend who has crossed the border coming to visit him, when he tells sam that he has met a guide who has offered to take him to him and then there has been no contact Sam fears the worst and sets off to find his friend at the 'lightning trap' - the place he was heading to first of all. Sam sets off and meets up with sabriel followed by many of the dead. So what has happened to his friend? Why does he feel that he has met Lirael before? There is a big secret revealed at the end of this book that will solve many of the questions that have arised. But the same question occures:"Does the walker chose the Path. Or the Path the walker?"A good book overall but it does get boring in places. Some of it is very predictable and I prefer the first book. But i look forward to the final book in this trilogy - 'Abhorsen'.